Travis Deptola Email & Phone Number

My journey to becoming a physician assistant has not been a traditional one. I was originally trained as a geoscientist and worked for 7 years in Houston, TX as an oil and gas geologist. During my time working as an oil and gas geologist in Houston, I experienced one of the most devastating hurricanes to hit the city with Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The roof of my home was struck and punctured by a fallen tree limb, and my family was struggling to remedy both rising flood waters from below and water damage to our home from above. The feeling of helplessness and the realization of how dependent I would be on the assistance of others during this time was life-changing. I also vividly remember watching people on the news, completely in shock, struggling to understand what was happening to them and looking utterly lost and hopeless as they evacuated their cars while the floodwaters overtook them. These experiences shook me to the core and wound up being the catalyst driving my decision to change careers. I found myself wanting to be someone who can help others in those difficult situations.A career as a physician assistant appeals to me because of the critical role PAs hold in the healthcare system. Physician assistants have the unique ability to spend more time with their patients, get to know them more personally, take time discussing their questions or concerns, and ultimately be a shoulder for them to lean on throughout their healthcare journey. Another reason I am drawn to the PA career is the ability to practice in a variety of specializations. I appreciate the collaborative nature of the physician assistant career because I have experienced the benefits of cross-functional and inter-disciplinary approaches to problem solving. In the end, the physician assistant career is a perfect fit for me: someone wanting to make a change in their own life, and make a change in the lives of others.

Listed skills include Geology, Petroleum Geology, Geological Mapping, Sedimentology, and 23 others.